Childs Play
by HugAZombie
Summary: KODAK MOMENTS AU!  "Was there even a lobster at the birth of Christ?"


_**Disclaimer:**__ I do not own Merlin, dammit. *Sobs*. It belongs to BBC._

_**Characters: **__ArthurXMerlin, MorganaXLeon, Uther_

_**Set: **__After 'Immortalised in Snow'_

_**Notes: **__So I have decided to make a series called KODAK MOMENTS, the first one being 'Immortalised in Snow' mainly because I prefer my longer stories to have some kind of action or fantasy thing going on, but I really like Merlin and Arthur in more domestic environments as well. So the KODAK MOMENTS was born. I have two planned to write over the next two days for Christmas, and any others I may produce will be set all over the place, some in the past before these few some after, or some may focus on completely different characters as well. They will mainly be one-shots of varying lengths, but there may be a few two-three shots as well. _

_So yeah, enjoy the seasonal snippets into Merlin and Arthurs life (: lol. This was written after watching Love Actually _

_Had to find a wife for Uther, so I decided Helena. Seems like an Uther-y thing to do, marrying a singer. _

/\/\

The theatre is probably bigger than Merlin's old flat. The stage is dark in front of them, thick red velvet curtain drawn closed. Merlin gazes, a little wide eyed, around the place. He had gone to the local comprehensive back home, and their hall (which doubled at the lunch hall at break time) was half the size. And they most certainly didn't have long rows of chairs, in fact; only the year six's sat on long, hard benches at the back whilst the rest of the school had to sit cross legged on the floor during assembly.

Merlin glances at Arthur, who looks completely at home in these kinds of surroundings, almost envying the ease in which Arthur can slide into the higher society, whereas Merlin couldn't be any more different. Don't get him wrong, Merlin would never want to suck up to the richer social circles Arthur is acquainted with, but he would like to maybe not attract as many derisive or amused glances as he does when Arthur forces him to attend business dinners or champagne parties.

Only a few of the more humble attendees have given him enough of a chance to let him charm them with his Irish accent and clumsy ways. The rest ignore him, as if they had somehow returned to the renaissance and he was just a peasant.

But, he thinks, he is not here today for Arthur. He is here for Mordred, who has been forced against his will to take part in the yearly Nativity play – which is quite unimaginable, a boy like Mordred dressing up and singing hymns. He'd rather be at home in his lab (read bedroom) concocting all sorts of things in a Frankenstein-esque manner, if his fixed glare throughout the entire evening had said anything.

And the slightly sadistic side of Merlin, a very small side, mind you, that has been nursed under the years of being with Arthur, does find the concept more than a little amusing.

"Ah Merlin." Merlin tears his gaze away from Arthur, who has been roped into conversation with a mother sitting behind them and who is definitely flirting, to find the dark haired lovely seating herself beside him with a wide smile.

He smiles. "Hello," he greet, leaning forward a bit to wave at Leon who acknowledges it with a smile of his own.

"We didn't arrive too late did we? I'd hate to miss Mordred's torture." Moraga's smirk is indefinitely wicked. "Did you see the costume?"

Merlin shakes his head. "We left before we could."

Oh, you are in for a treat," she says with far too much delight. Arthur has finally torn himself away from the metaphorical clutches of the woman and shifted in his seat. "Evening Morgana, Leon."

"Helena and Father should be down in a moment," Morgana tells him. "They have just dropped Mordred off with the teachers."

Merlin turns to his blonde, head tilted to the side. "So, who's your new friend?"

Arthur glares at Merlin, settling back into his seat. "Shut it Merlin."

"Aw, but she seemed so very _nice_."

"Do you know what's also very nice, _Mer_lin? The couch."

Merlin chuckles. "Well, Arthur if you want to sleep on the couch, I'm not going to argue. Maybe for once I'll get the covers."

Arthur snorts. "Please, you are the one to nick the covers. Who knew such a tiny body would need so much cover to keep warm." He couples this remark with a snide poke to the side that ha Merlin jerking away forcefully, squeaking in a most feminine manner and a look of pure murder on his face.

Arthur just smirks the grin of the triumphant. When in doubt, tickle Merlin. Works every time.

"Just you wait, Pendragon," Merlin hisses in his ear with a devilish tone before he settles back, Arthur suitably repentant.

Merlin could be wicked with his revenge.

But further commentary is cut off by the arrival of Uther and Helena, Helena greeting them with a pleasant, gap-toothed smile as Uther nods to them and seats himself. It's not long after that that the curtain's fall away to reveal what Merlin assumes to be a narrator, dressed as an angel, who begins to read a little stiltedly of the 'parchment' in front of her.

The play progresses, and Merlin has to admit there are more than a few future actresses amongst the cast. Finally they get to the manger scene, in which the children – dressed as many a different thing – crowd about the small manger in which the doll 'Jesus' is lain in.

"Is that a lobster to the left?" Merlin whispers in Arthur's ear just as Morgana suppresses a cackle. The woman at the piano is starting up a tune to signify the beginning of yet another song. Arthur leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the lobster.

"Is that _Mordred_?" Morgana is now chuckling into her hand as, yes, the lobster does in fact reveal itself to be an unimpressed Mordred standing now at the front of the stage with a sheep, an owl and a goat and staring out into the crowd as the others sing.

Arthur is sniggering, chewing his lip to keep from bursting out in laughter and even Merlin can feel the tug of a mirthful smile at the sight of Mordred – _Mordred!_ – glaring out into the crowd in a strange orange suit, antennae things and massive paper mache claws that prevents him from crossing his arms and completing the petulant child look.

A teacher to the left is gesturing madly to Mordred, who turns his glare upon the poor creature before once again staring out into the crowd, his luminous eyes promising murder to every man, women and child in the room.

"Was there even a lobster at the birth of Christ?" Merlin asks.

Arthur clears his throat, a few lingering chuckles bubbling to the surface. Of course _Mer_lin, there was two of every animal."

Merlin frowns, glancing at Arthur, who is still smirking. "Wasn't that Noah's Ark?"

"I honestly don't care Merlin, when Mordred is standing up there in a lobster suit." He laughs some more and then Morgana leans over Merlin, winking at him impishly.

"I don't know why _you're_ laughing Arthur; I seem to remember when you were Mary in one of these things."

Merlin chokes on nothing, coughing a laugh into his hand. "Seriously?" There is hissing command to be quiet from somewhere in front of them and Uther glares at Merlin from down the row.

"Yup, you know what. I think we even have _pictures_," Morgana continues.

"Merlin, you even think about it and there will be revenge."

Merlin beams at his partner. "It would be worth the punishment," he comments a moment later, eyes twinkling, as he and Morgana high-five each other like twelve year olds.

They would both pay, oh yes they would.


End file.
